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North Notes: Tkachuk, Batherson, Sandin, Oilers, Danault

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Senators winger Brady Tkachuk is leaning towards declining an invitation to play for Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, suggests Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  While he would undoubtedly be a key player for them, he is a pending restricted free agent, something that he acknowledged could be a factor in him taking a pass if he goes that route:

I haven’t made a full decision yet but it’s always an honour to represent your country and play for the guys who paved the way and USA Hockey. We’ll have to see but it’s definitely a different set of circumstances here, especially with the things going on this summer.

Tkachuk isn’t the only one leaning towards taking a pass for that reason either as Garrioch adds that winger Drake Batherson is doubtful to suit up for Canada with his restricted free agency on the horizon.  While Tkachuk is expected to land a substantial raise this summer no matter what, Batherson’s case is a bit murkier as while he has played well this year with 33 points in 53 games, it’s his only full NHL season thus far.

More from the North Division:

  • Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin isn’t expected to play in Toronto’s remaining three games for salary cap reasons, notes Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. By moving him back to the taxi squad, they would create enough cap room in order to activate Riley Nash from LTIR, allowing him to potentially get a game or two in before the end of the regular season to get him ready for the playoffs.  Nash was ruled out for the rest of the year while in Columbus but Toronto’s schedule runs nearly a week longer as a result of the COVID-related postponements.
  • While the Oilers look to be set in second place in the North, don’t expect them to rest anyone down the stretch, relays Postmedia’s Rob Tychkowski. Instead, head coach Dave Tippett wants to try to create some momentum over their final four games, something that could be more difficult with players rotating in and out of the lineup.
  • Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters today, including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (Twitter link), that center Phillip Danault has been diagnosed with a concussion. He had previously been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.  He had already been ruled out for tonight’s game against Toronto but with that diagnosis, he will likely miss the final two games against Edmonton as well.

NHL To Relax COVID-19 Protocol For Vaccinated Playoff Teams

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Just in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL is set to take a major change to their COVID-19 protocol. As first reported by TSN’s Frank Seravalli, the league has issued a memo to potential playoff clubs detailing new rules relaxing the restrictions initially implemented to combat the Coronavirus. Once 85% of the team, including players, coaches, and staff, have been fully vaccinated, there will be much more freedom granted in health and safety and social interaction areas. This policy will also apply to on-ice officials, once 100% of the crew has been fully vaccinated. By “fully vaccinated”, the league requires that an individual be two weeks removed from their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Once a team receives league approval that the 85% vaccination mark has been reached, the following policies will be relaxed:

Social Gatherings

  • allowed in groups of up to eight people
  • not limited to members of the team
  • may occur indoors or outdoors
  • masks and social distancing not required
  • all individuals must be fully vaccinated

Masks

  • not required in non-public areas of arenas and practice facilities
  • not required at teams meetings

Travel and Leisure

  • permitted to gather in hotel rooms
  • permitted to eat during air and bus travel
  • permitted to dine at restaurants with outdoors seating or an exclusive indoor dining area
  • permitted to golf as a group

Testing

  • no longer required on off days

These new policies will be well-received by players, coaches, and officials alike, who have endured a very sheltered existence over the past few months. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to reap the benefits. Seravalli notes that none of the Canadian clubs are “anywhere close” to the 85% full vaccination mark and may not get there at all by the end of the postseason. Slow vaccination rates in Canada mean that few Canadian players have received their first dose of a two-dose COVID vaccine and second doses could be months away. With it still being unclear if the North Division champion will even be able to play home games in the final two rounds of the playoffs, these relaxed policies could join home ice as another benefit for the American clubs this postseason.

Max McCormick Clears Waivers

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Saturday: As expected given the lack of upside to making a claim, McCormick has safely cleared waivers, reports Hurricanes beat writer Michael Smith. The Central Division leaders will get some cap relief in the final days of the regular season while retaining the depth forward for their playoff run.

Friday: You don’t often see players placed on waivers after the trade deadline, as roster limits are lifted and teams can carry everyone they need. In today’s cap world though, there are sometimes situations that require a team to move a player down even after the deadline has passed. That’s what has happened with the Carolina Hurricanes today, who have placed Max McCormick on waivers to create some roster flexibility.

As CapFriendly points out, the rules for waiver claims after the deadline are slightly adjusted, meaning McCormick could not play for a team that claims him. If someone did claim him, it would essentially end his season, which doesn’t benefit his new team very much. Still, there is at least a slight possibility that a team would claim McCormick simply to remove him as an option for the Hurricanes as they head into the postseason. An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, there would be no real risk other than upsetting a fellow management team.

It’s a tough spot for McCormick, 29, who has played in ten games this season for Carolina. The former Ottawa Senators forward has two goals in those appearances, spending more time on the taxi squad than on any active roster.

Ondrej Kase Returns To Practice, Could Play For Boston This Week

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For the first time in 110 days, the Boston Bruins had winger Ondrej Kase back at practice on Friday. Kase suffered a concussion in just the second game of the season back on January 18, at least the fourth of his pro career, and had been unable to return to team activities ever since. There have been various reports for months about Kase skating, both independently and with the team, but he had never formally returned to practice. That changed yesterday, as the team reported that Kase was a full participant and taking line rushes. Head coach Bruce Cassidy addressed the excitement over Kase’s return by noting that Kase would not play on Saturday, but could return to the lineup in one or both of the Bruins final games on Monday and Tuesday – if he was feeling up to it.

Of course, expectations should be tempered for Kase’s return to game action after so much missed time. On talent alone, Kase likely has a spot in the lineup, even in the Bruins deep forward corps, but it will take him some time to get back up to speed. The former Anaheim Ducks standout was acquired last year in a deal that saw a first-round pick and promising prospect defenseman Axel Andersson head to Anaheim, so expectations have always been high for the 25-year-old forward. However, after missing eight games down the stretch and two in the playoffs last year due to injury (unrelated to concussions) and most of this season, Boston has still not seen much of Kase and may not rush him into the lineup. Playing in the final regular seasons games is a good start, but may not guarantee him a spot to begin the playoffs.

With that said, Kase did record four points in the postseason last year while showing chemistry with center David Krejci and playing top-six minutes for the Bruins through the team’s playoff run. While a spot next to Krejci may not be available right now, given the recent success that the veteran has had with Taylor Hall and Craig Smith, Kase could provide a spark to a third line that has not had as much luck. Kase split reps in practice on Friday at third-line right wing, skating with Sean Kuraly, Nick Ritchie, and Jake DeBrusk. Charlie Coyle will also be back in the third line mix when he returns from his own injury. With all but Coyle having spent time on the fourth line at times this season, Kase could prove himself worthy of a third line role thus knocking one of the others down the lineup. While injuries have prevented Kase from playing more than 66 games in any of his five NHL seasons, his 82-game pace during his time in Anaheim projected 20+ goals and 40 points while his posession stats have been consistently strong, numbers the Bruins can’t ignore for long if Kase is at full strength.

The Bruins face a series of difficult decisions this off-season regarding Kase and will certainly appreciate some added action this season with which to make their determination. A restricted free agent, Kase is owed a $2.6MM qualifying offer in order for Boston to retain his rights. While the club does not have the same serious salary cap issues as many other contenders, that is a sizeable amount of space to commit to a player that still remains such a mystery. If the Bruins do decide to qualify Kase, which is probably more likely than not, the next question will be how negotiations go from there. Does Kase accept his QO as a “show me” deal in 2021-22? Do the two sides discuss a multi-year extension, perhaps even at a lower AAV? Or does Kase instead file for salary arbitration and try go get more money based on his potential? The Bruins must also decide if Kase’s upside is worth protecting from the Seattle Kraken in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft or if they can take the risk of the league’s newest team not selecting a player with an extensive injury history. There are more questions than answers when it comes to Kase, but both sides hope that his return to practice and possibly game action could lead to some playoff impact that helps to clarify the situation and lead to an extension in their relationship.

 

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/08/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

North Division

  • With a back-to-back lined up this weekend, the Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Gustavsson to get one last look at the young netminder before their season comes to a close. The Senators face a difficult decision of which of their five (yes, five) Expansion Draft-eligible goalies to protect this summer, but the 22-year-old Gustavsson may just be the pick given his phenomenal numbers in six appearances this season. Perhaps one final strong start will tip the scales his way and lead to the exposure of starter Matt Murray and fellow backups Marcus Hogberg, Anton Forsberg, and Joey Daccord to the Seattle Kraken.

Central Division

  • Ahead of their season finale on Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings announced that a pair of promising young players will not take part and rather have been reassigned to the taxi squad. It’s a curious decision to bench Joseph Veleno and Givani Smith, seeing as the duo are part of the Red Wings’ future, which is all the 27th-place team should be focused on right now. The team has made one recall, bringing goaltender Calvin Pickard up to the active roster.
  • Despite playing in nine straight games, including his first goal as a Blue Jacket in his most recent outing, defenseman Gavin Bayreuther has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. The prevailing theory: at this point in their respective seasons, wins are worth more to Cleveland chasing a division title than to Columbus chasing top lottery odds.

East Division

  • The New Jersey Devils have brought back wingers Nolan Foote and Tyce Thompson, per a team announcement. Foote made an impact in his first four NHL games, picking up a goal and an assist while Thompson has been held without a point in seven contests.  Both players are at today’s morning skate.
  • The Washington Capitals have shuffled up their roster, announcing that they have sent Daniel Carr down to the taxi squad while recalling Garrett Pilon to the active roster.  Carr has an assist in six games this season while Pilon has yet to play in the NHL but has 16 points in 14 games with AHL Hershey this season.

West Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Hudson Fasching and Aaron Ness from the taxi squad, sending Michael Chaput back in the process. The Coyotes will finish their season tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Rasmus Kupari from the taxi squad, while moving Quinton Byfield off the roster. Byfield took a painful shot off the foot last night against the Avalanche but managed to stay in the game. By playing in one more match, Byfield would burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Bobby Ryan Not Planning On Retiring After This Season

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It has been a tough last 12 months for veteran winger Bobby Ryan.  He was bought out of the final two years of his deal with Ottawa, getting paid more than $7MM over the next four seasons not to play for them.  He quickly landed with Detroit but didn’t get an opportunity to join a contender at the trade deadline as he needed surgery to repair a torn tendon in his triceps which ended his season prematurely.  Despite the disappointing year, the 35-year-old told reporters, including NHL.com’s Jon Lane, that he intends to play again next season and is hoping to re-sign with the Red Wings:

The thing I do know right now is, I want to play hockey next year. That’s been my immediate focus, trying to get ready to do that. You hope it’s Detroit. I haven’t had those conversations yet. I’ll certainly be open to it. If I’m part of the plans, I’d love to be here.

From an offensive standpoint, Ryan had a relatively quiet year with seven goals and seven assists in 33 games while averaging over 15 minutes per game.  On the other hand, with a contract of only $1MM, that’s a reasonable return on that price tag from a veteran.  However, he was frequently praised by teammates for what he also brought off the ice which has to be taken into consideration as well, especially on a team as young as Detroit is.

It would certainly be understandable if the Red Wings wanted to bring Ryan back although it would probably need to be in more of a limited role.  While giving him some minutes in the top six was manageable in a season like this where they weren’t really eyeing a playoff spot, that shouldn’t be the case moving forward as they look to integrate some of their younger players and add to their roster with an eye on getting out of the basement in the standings.  If he’s amenable to a reduced role, it certainly seems as if something could be worked out.  If not, he’ll hit the open market looking to catch on somewhere else to extend a 14-year career that has placed him seventh in scoring among all players from his 2005 draft class.

Canadiens Update Injury Status For Several Players

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As Montreal looks to secure a playoff spot in the North Division, they’re doing so without several of their more prominent veterans who are out of the lineup with various injuries.  The team announced updates on the majority of those players and it appears as if most of them could be back for the postseason.

Goaltender Carey Price has resumed skating as he works his way back from a concussion suffered last month against Edmonton but there remains no timetable for his return.  In the meantime, Jake Allen will continue to shoulder the majority of the workload between the pipes.

Winger Brendan Gallagher has also resumed skating and remains on pace to return within the six-week timeframe listed a month ago when he was diagnosed with a thumb injury.  With the North Division schedule being extended due to their and Vancouver’s COVID-pauses, that could give Gallagher an opportunity to return at the start of the playoffs.  Meanwhile, Paul Byron has missed the last two weeks with a lower-body injury.  He remains considered as day-to-day but the team did not indicate that he has resumed skating yet.

Defenseman Shea Weber has missed five straight games with an upper-body injury but has resumed skating and is also listed as day-to-day.

Joining that group of players in the infirmary is center Phillip Danault.  He left Thursday’s game against Toronto in the first period due to an upper-body injury.  He has returned to Montreal for evaluation and as a result, he will not be available for the rematch against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.  Arpon Basu of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that Danault travelled by a car service, allowing him to remain in the bubble and not be subject to a seven-day quarantine to rejoin the team.  If Montreal wants to dress 12 forwards tomorrow, they will have to use an emergency recall on either Michael Frolik or Alex Belzile who are the only two healthy forwards on their taxi squad, a group that also consists of three other injured forwards from the AHL.

The Canadiens are also without winger Jonathan Drouin who was placed on LTIR late last month after taking a leave of absence for personal reasons.  There remains no update on his situation with the team at the time of the announcement asking everyone to respect his privacy.

While it certainly sounds as if some of their veterans should be ready to play if they can make it, there won’t be any immediate help on the horizon as they look to officially clinch a spot in the playoffs.

International Notes: Schneider, Pettersen, Dichow

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With Islanders goalie Cory Schneider not playing once this season while clearing waivers, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll look to stay in the NHL or look at options overseas.  If he opts to consider the latter, Lugano of the Swiss NLA could be a landing spot as Watson’s Klaus Zaugg notes that Lugano is pondering making an offer to the 35-year-old for next season.  It’s worth noting that Schneider holds dual citizenship between the United States and Switzerland which could certainly make him an intriguing option for teams in that league where he wouldn’t take an import position.  If Schneider does decide he wants to keep playing and doesn’t anticipate getting an NHL offer, signing in Switzerland – with Lugano or elsewhere – would certainly make some sense.

More from the international hockey world:

  • Calgary winger prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen has joined Norway’s entry for the upcoming World Championships, notes Torie Petersen of the Flames’ team site. The 21-year-old was a sixth-rounder back in 2018 (167th overall) and recently wrapped his first season in North America, putting up a decent six goals and eight assists in 29 games with AHL Stockton.
  • Canadiens prospect Frederik Dichow has signed a one-year deal with Kristianstad in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, per a team announcement. The 21-year-old goaltender was a fifth-round pick of Montreal back in 2019 (139th overall) and was supposed to play with Sudbury of the OHL this season.  Instead, with that league not playing this year, he was limited to six appearances with two teams in Denmark this season and will undoubtedly be looking for more playing time next season.

Brendan Leipsic Re-Signs In KHL

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Former NHL forward Brendan Leipsic will be staying in the KHL moving forward, after signing a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Leipsic’s rights were actually traded from CSKA Moscow where he played this season for the rights to Los Angeles Kings forward Lias Andersson, who happens to be a restricted free agent this summer. CSKA will likely try to convince Andersson to leave the NHL and head to Russia in the offseason when his contract in Los Angeles expires.

Leipsic meanwhile is staying after scoring 32 points in 58 games this season, his first overseas. The 26-year-old forward saw his last NHL contract terminated by the Washington Capitals in May 2020 after several screenshots were leaked from his social media account. At the time, the NHL issued a statement condemning “misogynistic and reprehensible remarks” that Leipsic and Jack Rodewald made in a private group chat. Both players ended up taking contracts overseas, with Rodewald signing in the Czech Extraliga for 2020-21.

Originally selected in the third round by the Nashville Predators, Leipsic’s NHL career isn’t necessarily over, but it would certainly be a difficult public relations move for any team to sign him at this point. The fact that he had just 11 points in 61 games during the 2019-20 season with the Capitals would suggest he’s not valuable enough to take the risk, meaning he might be limited to KHL contracts from here on out.

Zack MacEwen Suspended One Game

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The Department of Player Safety has handed out another suspension, this time giving Vancouver Canucks forward Zack MacEwen a one-game ban for kneeing Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. The incident occurred partway through the second period in last night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we agree with MacEwen’s assertion that the contact is not excessively forceful, the concept of intentionally kneeing a vulnerable player in the head is simply unacceptable. This is not a hockey play. It is only because the impact of this play is so light that MacEwen is not facing a substantial suspension for this action. 

Nurse did not suffer a serious injury on the play and MacEwen has never been fined or suspended previously in his short NHL career. Both things would have helped the suspension stay at just one game, though couldn’t help him avoid the supplementary discipline entirely.

The Canucks and Oilers are set to play a rematch tomorrow night, which MacEwen will not be eligible to participate in. The two teams do have one other game on the schedule for Saturday, May 15. This is the second kneeing suspension the Canucks have received this season after Alexander Edler was given a two-game ban for his hit on Zach Hyman.

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